Avellach
Chapter Four
Technician Mei-ling Wong sat within a circle of fluorescent radiance, an unconventional soothsayer, face lit with blue luminescence, her version of the crystal ball balanced on shapely knees. The tricorder, although working, refused to confer any comprehensive readings and she had begun to explore the intricate transistors, more for something to occupy her time than to actually improve the instruments performance.
The clearing up was long since done and the pile of broken equipment sorted from the smaller one of usable stuff that had escaped the cave-in. She was alone. Doctor McCoy, Elena Carter, and Lee Temple had left with Spock's explosive device almost an hour before in search of a tunnel that would lead them to the lower levels of the cave structure; Chekov was exploring a maze of passages leading from the main chamber in the hope of finding another way out.
Before his departure, McCoy had given Mei-ling the activity of liaison officer between the separate groups, but her main endeavour was to try to regain contact with either Mr Spock or the Enterprise. Repeated attempts at both had failed to achieve any result at all. There was nothing for her to do except sit within the dimly lit circle Pavel had constructed from the salvaged luminous glows, trying to keep her mind off the low cairn of rocks that now covered Kevin Mura's body. As time passed, she found it a mounting challenge to concentrate on her task instead of the memory of Mura's face in those last moments of life. What had he seen, she wondered uneasily. Could it really have been his late wife? How had Kevin known Spock was still alive?
She shifted position against the pile of rocks she leaned against, chewing absently at her bottom lip, eyes darting from shadow to shadow, always coming back to the neatly stacked mound where Mura lay. When a falling pebble clattered in the quietness, she was on her feet instantly. Eyes wide in fright, she stared beyond the blue glow of her protective circle into the gloom. "Pavel, is that you?"
Who else could it be, she thought as the noise came again. You're being ridiculous Mei, jumping at shadows. You're a big girl now not a child frightened of the dark!
More debris rattled, nearer this time. Mei-ling swung round toward the tunnel mouth that led from the cave. "Pavel, this is no time to play games. Pavel, please --"
Her heart started to race, thumping against the wall of her rib cage. She swallowed hard, and with an effort brought the sudden panic under control. Had not someone once said that the only thing to fear was fear itself? She moved to the periphery of the circle, tricorder clutched in her hands, studying the readout. Something moved just out of her visual range. A trick of the light, she told herself. Or maybe an animal! Yes, that was it, she thought grinning at her own folly, it was an animal trapped by the rock fall as the landing party had been. It must have wandered in during the previous day and was now seeking a way out. She lifted the tricorder and started to scan the area again. The dials spun wildly, shooting off the scale as the delicate instrument picked up some tremendous burst of magnetic energy. The ground lurched, trembled violently, and threw Mei to her knees just as a fierce incandescence filled the cavern with brilliant light.
Chekov, on his return from the third dead-end, was startled then terrified as he heard Mei-ling's frightened scream echoing and re-echoing from wall to wall. He broke into a stumbling run when the earth bucked beneath his feet and a grumbling roar thundered on the quivering air. His phaser was drawn and ready when he burst from the tunnel and into the main cavern. Mei-ling lay on the ground, arms protectively over her head as more rocks crashed down around her. Quickly, the young ensign rushed over to her, dodging the loose rock, and pulled her into his arms.
"Mei? Are you hurt?"
She clung to him, shaking in terror. "Pavel, I was so afraid. Please, do not leave me again. I do not think I could -- bear to be alone."
Some time later they sat entwined in each other's arms within the radius of the lights glow. Mei's head rested lightly on Chekov's chest while he absently stroked her hair. At last, he murmured, "Vhy vere you so afraid? The tremor vas only a wery little one."
Mei tightened her arms around his waist as she remembered her terror before the quake hit, the impression that she was not alone. Now, the feeling seemed absurd.
"It was so quiet here on my own. I kept seeing Kevin's face before -- before he died."
She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Pavel?"
"Yes?"
"You didn't find another entrance did you?"
He rubbed his jaw against her hair, smelling the flowery scent of her shampoo that always enchanted him. "No, but there is bound to be one. It is probably just vaiting for us to find it."
His slight Russian accent thickened and Mei laughed ruefully at his optimism. "Then—you haven't given up hope? You think we will get out of here?"
"Of course! Mr Spock vill be vorking on it at this wery moment!"
"But if he doesn't reach us before the explosion--?"
Chekov smiled and hoped he sounded more reassuring than he felt. "Hev you ever known Mr Spock to be late? He has a chronometer vired into his brain!"
Mei settled back into his arms, comforted by his self-assurance. "I wonder how the other's are getting on?"
Chekov's eyes roamed over to the back of the cavern where the tunnel was, "I hev been vondering that also."
"Who is there?" Spock called once more, his eyes narrowed against the sunlight as he peered into the shadows behind a low screen of rocks. Again, he caught sight of movement. The ground trembled and he swayed, clutching hurriedly at an outcropping to steady himself.
When he could concentrate once more, she stood a dozen paces away, a small slender child with dark eyes and long brown-black hair braided with flowers.
"Qual se tu, sa-kai Spock?" Is it thou, brother Spock, she asked him in the soft and pleasant accents of a native ShiKahrii, raising her hand in the ta'al, the Vulcan salute. "Peace and long life to thee."
Spock, head tilted, arched a brow, fascinated by her sudden appearance. Could the Vulcan girl child be a hallucination? A real possibility in his weakened condition – or perhaps an illusion! He hesitated fractionally before returning her greeting, but did not reply in the formal mode of kinship as she had. "Live long and prosper, ko'khan. Who are thee and why are thee here?"
For an instant, she seemed puzzled by his question as if he should have recognised her. "I – am from the Colony within the valley. I heard thee calling – and came to offer thee aid. Dost thee not recognise me, my sa-kai?"
Again, she used that same word, claiming kinship with him, "I called no one."
Yet, there was something about her, something disturbingly familiar. Suddenly, recognition came. "T'ashaya?"
She gracefully inclined her head.
"But you -- she -- is dead."
"That is surely an illogical statement. Thee can see I am not."
"It would also be quite illogical to believe that ones senses cannot be deceived."
She gazed at him in wide-eyed enquiry, "To doubt my word suggests that thee suspect me of duplicity."
For a brief time, his thoughts underwent a minor dislocation and he found himself back on Vulcan, a young child of three or four, looking up into the slightly disapproving face of his first tutor as he unsuccessfully dissected a particularly obscure logical sequence. The teacher had been his father's brother, Silek, summoned especially from Dhikune to instil at least a rudimentary knowledge of the skill before he faced the tougher exigencies of school life. He recalled with a slight inner irony, that those early lessons had not been especially pleasant – for either he or his uncle, for he had an alarming idiosyncrasy, in those first years, of using his heart more than his head.
Spock blinked, aware that he had indulged in a daydream while in a potentially dangerous situation. The recklessness of the action pinpointed his fatigue, the battle his mind waged against his body. His fears were groundless, however, for the girl, T'ashaya still held her previous position, regarding him with that same ingenuous look of enquiry.
Spock gazed back, his features impassive. Most certainly, she could not be T'ashaya, and her claim that she came from the colony was an obvious falsehood. He knew, without any doubt, that there were no other settlements on Avellach where Vulcans had a concern. Reports also revealed the planet deficient of any natural higher intelligent life forms or, at least, none that had shown up on their scans. He half turned to look at the mountain of rubble that covered the cave mouth. He needed help and whoever - or whatever - T'ashaya was, she might be able to assist him, yet --
"Thee is afraid for thy companions?"
He whirled to find her unexpectedly almost at his shoulder. Once again, his thoughts had distracted him. "Thee has seen them?"
"They are trapped here, are they not? Within the mountain."
"That is correct." His tone was peremptory, harsher than he meant. But time was passing. "If I cannot reach them very soon, they may die."
"Die?" The word appeared to cause her some confusion.
"Indeed. They will perish, cease, discontinue. Dost thee understand? I must know of another entrance to the caverns."
"There is a way," she murmured quietly, "but it is far away – and thee is injured."
"My injuries are of no importance." He stated unequivocally. "Thee will take me to this other entrance.
She studied him with her great, soft eyes, before she inclined her head. "If it is thy wish."
"It is." Spock declared.
"Then, it will be my honour, sa-kai Spock. Come, it is this way." Without a backward glance she walked away, adroitly following a trail only she could see. Spock hesitated for an instant knowing that he had little choice, before slowly and painfully following her lead.